


Crumbling right into your arms.

by NameWithNoMan



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:00:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27459859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NameWithNoMan/pseuds/NameWithNoMan
Summary: If you realized that the key to your happiness is a forbidden fruit would you still reach out and take it?Caught by a rain in their family house on Ember Island Zuko and Azula are reminded of how close they were as children. Would it be really that bad to try again?Originally posted by me in comments under Torment by Nichya
Relationships: Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Azula/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 38





	Crumbling right into your arms.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nichya](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nichya/gifts), [BalrogDeMorgoth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BalrogDeMorgoth/gifts).



> Please post any grammar mistakes you find below.

Azula was breathing slowly and kept her eyes closed. The tapping of the raindrops against the roof and the smell of the room brought her back... Way back. Back to a time that was gone and a family that was no more. And a girl that was afraid of the lightning and the thunder. Silly child, she didn't know yet that soon enough she would become their master. But that little girl had something that Azula lacked and the memories made her miss it. Although she wasn't quite sure what it was.

" I don't think it will stop soon. " Princesses eyes snapped open as her brother's voice abruptly brought her back to reality.

" We may as well get comfortable. " He said looking around the room finally moving towards a chair. Why?

" The bed is big enough for both of us. " Zuko stopped and gave his sister a curious look.

" It's my old bed. " He said finally not sure himself what kind of argument was that.

" It's big enough. "

" Fine. " Finally with a heavy sigh he changed directions and after two more steps laied down on the opposite side of the bed. Azula didn't like that. He, Zuko, somehow didn't fit into the room as he supposed to. 'My Zuzu wouldn't avoid me like that' a voice in her head whispered. True her Zuzu wouldn't but her Zuzu was an older brother she looked up to, someone she loved and respected. This was Zuko and all she could say about him was that he was ok. She no longer thought about him as a disgrace and a failure of course but he still had ways to go. She could trust him. Maybe. But he wasn't someone that would make her feel safe. She still called him Zuzu from time to time but it was only in mockery, same way others called her coward of an uncle 'hero of the people'.

Zuko let his mind drift into nothingness for a moment. The house and the room brought back memories he wasn't ready to face. Not just yet. After all this was the place the news about his cousins death had reached them. And even earlier this was the place where Azula had told him that father decided to put her into special training. That little girl with hopeful eyes still scared of lightning and not yet the little monster that would turn his life into hell. Now she was once again by his side. All grown up and honestly not a monster anymore. Zuko couldn't quite figure out what she was yet and a part of him warned that he really shouldn't dig too deep. But at the same time another part of him wanted oh so desperately to breach that gap that grew between them. That was stupid wish really. Azula might have trusted him again and maybe even respected him a little after the events in Ba Sing Se, but she would never look at him with loving eyes again and he had to accept that. He looked at her from a corner of his eye. All she did was breath and stare at the ceiling.

What would happened if he hugged her?

The thought brought blush to his cheeks. No. He might have missed closeness they shared as kids but they were both grown up now. That would be wrong.

'What are we waiting for?' Azula couldn't push that question from her mind. The answer appeared simple: they were waiting from the rain to stop so they could leave and never look back. But for some reason that wasn't the answer she wanted to hear. Zuko should do something. Why? She didn't know. She also should do something, but once again what that supposed to be escaped her. "If your enemies plot against you and you know not what they aim for, make a move and force them to reveal themselves. " An old proverb with applications both in war and politics and as Azula decided in her relationship with her brother as well. She shifted on a side and lifted her upper body up into a half sitting position. Someone was about to do something and if it wasn't him that would be her.

" Look. " Zuko's voice cut her off guard. He was holding his hands together above the chest waiting for her to acknowledge what he was doing. Noticing her gaze he parted his finger. What spilled from between them made Azula forget how to breath for a moment.

When they were little Azula was afraid of storms. She hated the rain that made everything wet, she was afraid of the thunder that was loud beyond belief and above all else she was scared of lightning that seemed cold and cruel. There was only one thing that could make her calm down and it had been Zuko's privilege to provide her with that. This time it was only a heavy rain but he'd decided to go all out. in his palms there were small fires and sparks that danced around each other. Slowly they grew in size and numbers and started rotating forming a whirlwind that steadily climbed towards the ceiling. Zuko was quite confident in this display since he practiced it from time to time during his banishment. Probably not as often as he could have but he wasn't ready to explain to uncle what exactly was he doing. Still the fires were pretty magnificent if he could say so himself. And when they reached the roof he turned them into a rain of sparks and let them slowly fall down basking the room in warm light.  
Focused on his work he couldn't pay attention to Azula so it was only now when he looked towards her to see his sister reaction that Zuko realized just how close she'd gotten. Her flushed face was so close he could feel her breath on his skin.

" Lala? " His voice was barely a whisper. As if the prince was scared to break whatever spell had befallen them both.

" We were happy then. " She said sounding sad and tired.

" We could be happy now. " He responded letting last of the sparks disappear. She was so close, her body heat pulled Zuko in and it was getting hard to resist. All he had to do was reach out and she would be in his arms once more. Just like it used to be.

" You don't want that. "

" Why do you think so? "

" You are scared. "

" I am not. " She didn't respond at first just reached out and gently touched his scar.

" You should be. "

" Az... no, Lala, do you want to be happy or not? "

" I don't know Zuzu, do you? " She was mocking him now but she didn't pull away and her words lacked the painful edge. But it didn't matter, he wasn't the boy with scarless face that'd thought everything will stay the same if you simply close your eyes and hope for the best. He changed and he knew how much it hurt to lose something even if it was just a chance. Especially without a fight.

" I do want to be happy. And I want you to be happy! " He reached out towards her imitating her motion. Her skin was soft and warm under his touch reminding him once more that not everything about Azula was cold and cruel.

" I wan't to make us happy together! " 'Like we used to be' he wanted to add but didn't. You could never have the past back. 

" Just let me! "

She leaned forward and closed her eyes stopping just before their mouths met.

" If you wan't to make me happy you will have to be mine forever... Mine Zuzu... "

Zuko's breath was stuck in his throat. He shouldn't. He shouldn't! But oh Angi! How much he wanted to!

" Will you be my Lala then? " He asked dreading the answer. And when it came he could feel a cold shiver racing down his spine. Because what she offered was all he wanted but what he had to pay was everything.

" Yours and only yours Zuzu. Always and for ever. "

His hands wrapped around her as their mouths finally met and the searing heat of the kiss melted their bodies together.

She was his now.

Only his.

But he was hers.

Always and for ever.

Their hearts were chained together.

And neither of them could ever leave.


End file.
